Top ten things you should not do when you’re naming a character

We all agree—naming characters is probably one of the hardest parts about writing a book. For some authors, it’s like naming a child—this name will live on forever, how does one pick the perfect name? Without further ado, we have compiled a list of the top ten (with a bonus eleventh) tip on things to avoid when you’re contemplating character names.

You’re writing your first paranormal romance, and you really love the name Damien. Guess what, so does everyone else. If you’ve done your research and you’ve read oodles of books in the genre you wish to write in you already know what names keep cropping up again and again. Be original!

Be historically accurate when you’re naming your characters.

No apostrophes in character names, especially if you’re writing fantasy.

Can you pronounce the characters name? Chances are, if you can’t do it, your reader will have a hard time as well, and the last thing you want is for your reader to stumble over your character’s name.

Does the character’s name sound okay when you speak it out loud? You’ve determined that it’s pronounceable, but does it sound goofy? What if your book is selected to become an audiobook? Is the name lyrical enough to be repeated over and over? And does it sound silly if it’s exclaimed? This might be very important if your novel is steamy.

Don’t name characters after anyone you know. You might cause offense, even if you don’t intend to, and you might not want to associate the person you know with the actions of your character (and you can get sued.)

Don’t name characters after famous people, or style names after famous people. Names have associations that sometimes can’t be shaken off, despite what you have the character do. It doesn’t matter if your Severus is a ruthless shipping tycoon, if you can’t shake the image of a hook-nosed and stringy-haired professor from a certain children’s series, neither will your reader.

It’s too late to add an extra letter to your character’s name to make it unique–J.R. Ward has already done that.

Don’t use the same first letter for several characters because it can be confusing. As in, did I read Taylor Jackson’s story? Or was that Teagan? Or maybe Ty? Was it Travis…?

Pairing your hero and heroine with famous couple names is less cute than you think it is. Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular comedy duos in American cinematic history. Unless you want to bring a groan to the lips of your reader, you’ll avoid this cliché like the plague.

BONUS TIP: No apostrophes in character names. We can’t stress that enough.

Now that you’ve successfully avoided these pitfalls, check out the blog posts from our authors on their process for naming characters:

Great points! I’d also like to add that as well as being historically accurate, it’s important to me that names are geographically accurate. I’ve read about British heroines called Savannah, Ellery, and so on – all of which read to me as American names. British men aren’t usually called Slade or Buck, either. I’m sure there are different naming habits in Australia and NZ, too. It’s not that hard to check, these days, with lists of top baby names available so easily on the internet.

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Diane Estrella, Diane Estrella and Jennifer Shirk, Jennifer Shirk. Jennifer Shirk said: Top Ten Things you Should NOT Do When Naming a Character: http://t.co/JQRcuwY via @HarlequinBooks #writing #writetip […]

Yes! Agreed. Perhaps apostrophes are out because English convention doesn’t use them in proper nouns and therefore most English speakers don’t know how apostrophes are meant to be pronounced. Names are read over and over again during the course of a story, and they hold the essence of the image we create in our minds of that character, as readers. To me they either ring true or false. It’s so important to me, as a reader, I’ll check the first pages, and if the character names ring false, or make me snigger, or I’ve seen it a million times, the book goes back on the shelf.
Now, I need to try avoiding these mistakes as a writer.

#5 makes me question one of my hero’s name. Doak Coley. The book is an historical western. I like the name, especially the whole name. But if I say just “Doak” outloud, it sounds like “dope.”
Doak Walker was a famous football player born in Texas but played for the Detroit Lions.

My main characters come with a name. I know them before I ever write about them…they come to me for some reason. Secondary characters are trickier. I feel them out–see what fits–but I also check the popular names for the year they’re born. I google Popular baby names for 1960, and get the top twenty.

You forgot to add the confusion when you give your female a traditionally male name. Like Ryan, Hayden, or even Chris. It can really get confusing at times. Especially if you don’t quickly established gender with a he/she. LOL

Point number 2 is a bit confusing. Why shouldn’t you “Be historically accurate when you’re naming your characters”? I’d think it would look quite silly to name a character in an 18th century setting some typically Hippie name, if the norm for the century was George and Martha, you know? Explain please?

Wait! Before You Leave…

Sign Up for Harlequin News & Save 20% on Your Next Order!

Sign up to receive newsletters, special offers and other promotional emails from Harlequin* and get all the Romance news you crave. Plus, you'll get an exclusive coupon to save 20% on your next purchase.